Born, Bred, Schooled

Wyndham Southland, hung out with the sheep dogs and pigs on the Farm, Wyndham Primary, Menzies College, Otago University, Lincoln University

First wine industry job - year

Vintage cellar hand 1996, not sure if you can count taste tester of Mum and Dad’s wines at age 6!

First real (full time) job (outside of school/uni holidays)

Cellar Hand Villa Maria, had lots of not real jobs like camp counsellor, mail lady and bar wench before I saw the light.

Career Highlight

Giving a presentation at our US parent companies winemaking and viti technical conference. (there were more Dr’s than a hospital, very intimidating)

Cat? Dog?

Guido the Italian Greyhound did have a very cool naked cat Edmund but....

Desert island wine and food.

Fino Sherry, should keep well in the heat, can be cooled down in the ocean and would be delightful with all the seafood

Mentor/Influencer

My Dad he loved his wine and liked to share

Dinner table companions, dead or alive

Dr Who so we can go and have a spin in the tardis afterwards and then we could meet up with anyone and everyone dead or alive!

Greatest achievement

Fastest thing on two legs in form 1, broke a few speed records, unfortunately, gravity, age and love of food and wine prevents me from achieving those speeds again. I now live vicariously through the dog who can run 40 odd km/hr if she felt like it.

New Zealand wine industry needs…

More dry Riesling

If you weren’t working in the wine industry, what would you be doing?

Being a hermit in the Catlin’s making moonshine

Virtues

Patience - can wait a long time for that cheese to mature!!

Vices.

Gluttony "I do like a bit of Gorgonzola"

One thing about you people might be surprised to learn?

Despite being in the Naval Reserves for several years I get seasick as a dog, nothing like a vomitathon for 22hrs steaming from Dunedin to Stewart Island

If you had the day off tomorrow what would you like to do?

While the other is out riding I would be researching my family tree to find some Vikings to explain the subtle ginger highlights